Implementing a home-based exercise program for patients with advanced, incurable diseases after discharge and their caregivers: lessons we have learned

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Discussion

Feasibility

The acceptability for participation on the part of the patients can be considered as low because only one patient out of 11 eligible patients gave informed consent (Fig. 1). However, the decision for not participating is multifactorial and could probably not be summarized in a single reason. It is hardly possible to judge whether the given reason, the complex overall situation, the study design, the intervention, other reasons or a combination of these factors have led to the patients’ decision. The low number of eligible patients can be traced back to our eligibility criteria, which apparently was not appropriate, and the low acceptability may be a consequence of different recruitment barriers (see paragraphs below).

No patient completed the study. Therefore, no judgement can be made on the efficacy of the intervention for this population (expansion) [16]......